1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for converting common warehouse model (CWM) representations to corresponding elements in a relational database, and more particularly to methods and systems for converting the physical aspects of the CWM representations to corresponding elements of a relational database.
2. Description of Related Art
The Common Warehouse Model (CWM), which is based on the Unified Modeling Language (“UML”), is an industry standard data warehouse interchange protocol. With the use of a data warehouse aware tool that supports CWM, warehouse metadata can be represented in an open standard way. The CWM standard allows users to represent, transform, exchange or otherwise process warehouse metadata. This provides the users with the capability of exchanging, optimizing or debugging software systems that interact with databases.
In contrast, relational database design elements, such as those defined by Structured Query Language (SQL) Server or Oracle databases, are not based on open standards; and, thus are not easily exchanged, processed or represented in a standard way. A database designer's view is limited to that of the proprietary design tools provided by the database manufacturer or that of third party tools.
Thus, a database model that has been designed using the CWM standard cannot be easily transformed into design elements for a relational database or into elements of a relational database. Accordingly, there is a need to translate and represent CWM information as design elements for a relational database or as elements of a relational database, at the database level.